Hoof Beats: The buzz is rising…

It’s October! It’s finally here!

Now that we’re in October, the buzz for the new season is cranking up. “Buzz” is an interesting word as we close in on the home opener against Bemidji in only three weeks: On the WCHA coaches conference call last week, the Von Braun Center was referred to as a “hornet’s nest.”

That means expected high decibel levels, people. Get your tickets now. And if top-level college hockey isn’t enough…

Promotions: UAH released the 2013-14 promotional schedule on Tuesday, and it’s the biggest in Charger history. T-shirts, pucks, bobbleheads, thundersticks — even mini toy rockets (we are Huntsville after all) will be given away at the 16 home games. Plus, there will be many in-game activities and opportunities for free admission for kids. We’ve added the promotions to our own schedule page.

Snag one of these posters at the Madison Street Festival on Saturday.

Posterized: The boys will be at the Madison Street Festival on Saturday. Meet the team and get this lovely schedule poster.

Preseason: The Chargers still have a week before their season opener at Northeastern, but the rest of the WCHA will be action this weekend. Ferris State travels to Colgate to get the college hockey season officially under way, while the rest of the league is in preseason exhibitions.

The preseason poll was released by USCHO.com on Monday. The only ranked WCHA team is conference favorite Minnesota State, which starts at No. 11. Other league teams receiving votes are Ferris State, Michigan Tech, Alaska, and Bowling Green.

Professional: The latest pro signing of a former Charger is Sebastian Geoffrion. After his tryout agreement with Nashville, Geoffrion signed with the Cincinnati Cyclones. Former UAH players Davide Nicoletti and Jeff Winchester played for Cincinnati last season.

To check out how our alumni are faring in professional hockey all around the world (and we mean all around the world), visit our In the Pros page.

Podium: Head coach Mike Corbett spoke to the Huntsville Rotary Club on Tuesday, and the program got a Twitter plug from Mayor Tommy Battle.

Predictions: You’ve seen the WCHA preseason poll by the media. The coaches poll isn’t much different (although by my math, one coach doesn’t have us last). It is what it is. We’ve got a lot of lost time to make up. But it’s going to be fun to watch this program grow and rise again thanks to the renewed support of the university and its fans.